Standing In The Way A Tag For Terror
by Strawberrywaltz
Summary: An alternative version of a scene in season three's episode "Terror" with added Sam Whump
1. Chapter 1

_A different twist to the end of season three's episode Terror. So major spoilers for that episode ^^_

_This is a pretty quick two shot. I'll upload the ending when I finish editing it. Also, for those reading "Hit and Run" the next chapter will be up tomorrow or the next day, whenever I hear back from my beta ^^_

_Warnings: Spoilers for Terror, violence, sensitive war things_

_This is un-beta magic so all the mistakes you might fine are mine._

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_Part One_

Sam had just burned through the last bar, removing the obstruction that blocked his entrance through the door. This was a high stress situation and Sam was going in blind and without backup. Sure Jules was on the inside, but it wasn't the same this time. She didn't have a weapon – this time Jules was relying on him to save her life.

Quickly shedding his SRU jacket Sam replaced his vest over the black undershirt and radioed to the Boss that he was ready. If Sam was going to convince the Subject that he was military he couldn't go in wearing a bunch of clothing that identified him as the Police.

Taking in a deep, calming breath Sam pushed any and all distracting thoughts aside and entered the building.

The device in his ear crackled suddenly with his boss's voice. "_Sam the hostages are turning on him, get in there now!_" The situation was escalating and there was no time to think of a solid way to enter 'safely.'

Heart rate spiking Sam made his way swiftly and stealthily through the kitchen and towards the area where the Subject and Jules were located.

Somewhere out of Sam's view the Subject was yelling at his hostages. "Back against the wall or I'll shoot you all one by one!" His voice clearly agitated to the edge of his breaking point.

Sam knew that there was a chance the Subject would open fire on him as soon as he entered the room, but as long as it gave Jules enough time to disarm the Subject it would be worth it. Sam would do anything to keep his team safe.

Floating from the other room Sam could hear the teammate in questions voice. Jules was trying to calm down the angry mob – from what Sam could hear around her Jules wasn't getting through to the other hostages. "Drop your weapon, drop your weapons, drop – "

The sound of shattering glass signaled to Sam that her efforts had indeed been in vain.

Taking a deep breath Sam calmed himself down despite the situation he was about to walk into. He had to appear calm, like a soldier. His concern couldn't be for Jules or the other hostages – his focus had to be on the Subject. It wasn't hard to fall back to the military state of mind. Sam had been a soldier all his life, not just for the two trips to the desert.

Confidently Sam strolled into the room with the stealth step that had been drilled into him – gun up and ready. "Everybody do what the man says! Drop your weapons and go back to where you were." Sam's eyes looked over the hostages, hoping they did as he said as he trained his gun on them. Thankfully his appearance had startled them into moving back and setting their various projectiles down.

Without pausing to show relief Sam turned to the Subject, who was now pointing a gun at Sam's chest. At least the vest would stop the bullet if the gun went off – and considering how badly the man's hand was shaking it was a definite possibility.

Looking the Subject straight in the eyes Sam smiled reassuringly. "Its alright buddy you can stand down, I've got this area of operations contained."

When some of the hostages hesitated Sam turned his gun back onto them, not willing to open fire on a bunch of civilians but needing them out of the way. "Go back to where you were, all of you. Do it now!" Once again Sam couldn't show his relief when they listened, but that didn't mean it wasn't there inside of him.

The gun was still shaking as it remained in point blank range leveled at his chest, but Sam wasn't thinking too hard about it.

"Who are you?" The unbalanced man demanded, trusting the gun slightly forward towards his new target. Behind the gun and the man Jules' looked relieved to see Sam's entrance and ready to play any part needed to solve this situation. Steve needed immediate attention, but Sam wasn't trying to think about that either. Right now his only objective was to talk down the man endangering the lives of everyone in the restaurant.

Straightening slightly the soldier answered the man's question. "Master corporal Sam Braddock." In a swift, confident motion Sam's hand reached up and pulled out dog tags. "Special forces, I'm here to help."

A spark of hope lit in the Subject's eyes. "You knew this place was a front for terrorists?"

The earpiece crackled with the Sergeant's voice again: _"Sam don't lie to him, he's sensitive to deception."_

With a slight nod Sam did as told. "I know what it's like to be afraid, I served two tours in Afghanistan. I know what it's like to walk down the street and wonder where they're going to strike again." Before the SRU, hell even after he joined Team One Sam had watched the rooftops for snipers as he walked the sidewalks. It was hard for a soldier to return to a world not a war zone – Sam had been no exception.

But at the moment Sam was talking about his feelings back in the war zone. The constant level of alertness was enough to drive a man crazy. Everyone was considered a threat in war – hesitating got a lot of good men killed.

Without giving away her position Sam watched as Jules started to move into position directly behind the gunman.

"You feel helpless like you're never going to be safe. That's what they want, all of us to live in a state of fear." The feelings of terrorists were engraved in the soldier's heart – however Sam had never held a grudge against innocent people. Even in the desert there were innocents that needed his protection. No one had the right to judge an entire race for the radical actions of some. By reducing themselves to radicalism of the ones they were trying to stop they became the ones they hated.

The Subject seemed to agree, but for all the wrong reasons. "Yeah, that's why we have to fight back, you know about the operation – "

Jules went for the gun, grabbing for it but it goes off. Sam winces, feeling the bullet lodge itself in his thigh just above his knee before he moved forward to subdue the Subject, tossing him on the ground. Without thinking much about the pain Sam pushed his bad leg into the man's back to pin him down as he reached his free hand back for his cuffs.

"Settle down!" Sam yelled, but it did little to calm the psychotically paranoid man bucking under him. The motion sent ripples of pain through Sam but the soldier within him swallowed the weakness down.

"What are you doing? You – you lied to me! You lied to me!"

Sam nearly lost his hold a few times before he finally got his cuffs and secured them onto the man's wrists. "I didn't lie." What he said had been the truth – Sam did live in fear. War did that to anyone exposed long enough. "Subject in custody." Sam reported to Parker back in the van.

"_Good work guys, good work._" Parker praised from the van, sounding just as tired as Sam was now that the adrenaline of the situation was winding down.

Slowly Jules' approached Sam and the still struggling subject on the floor careful not to spook the man into throwing Sam off with his wild bucking.

"Thank you," Jules told Sam sincerely, moving closer with her gun still trained on the Subject.

With a slight nod Sam winced and glanced over at Steve still bleeding on the floor. "We need an EMS team in here, Boss." He called over the speaker, only then did he glance down at his thigh, already slick with red oozing red. Grunting Sam pushed up from the Subject and started to drag the still struggling man to his feet.

With the EMS team came two uniforms and for that Sam was grateful for the added back up – just incase the man in his custody managed to wiggle free. Limping along with the man Sam pushes him out towards the front door of the restaurant ignoring everything else until he's standing with his Boss outside.

The man in Sam's handcuffs fidgets and remains non-responsive as his mind is clearly not all there at the moment. Finally Sam shifts his weight and without taking his eyes off the Subject addresses his Boss calmly. "I don't think we're going to get anything out of him."

"Alright," Greg agrees with a frustrated sigh, he hasn't noticed Sam's bloody pant leg yet – not that he had much of a reason to look. "Take him to the hospital, pump him full of whatever drug necessary so we can talk to him when the time comes." The uniform nodded and Sam lead the Subject to the near by car and helped lower him inside.

Once his objective was finished Sam shut the door and leaned against the car for much needed support. "Boss." He called over his shoulder, turning around just as the Sergeant looked over at him.

For a minute things seemed to slow down as Greg's eyes moved from Sam's face to his leg. Time went back to normal when the Sergeant started talking again. "God, Sam why did you say you were hit?" Parker demanded, coming out of the initial shock with surprising swiftness – rushing to Sam's side in order to help him walk. "We need a medic over here!"

Sam shrugged, grateful for the assistance as he limped towards a bench. "Never seemed like a good time." Sam winced and sat down. "It isn't that bad, bullet was small and got lodged in the fleshy area – just hurts like hell."

Sam's Boss turned his glare up from the wound to show his displeasure with the blasé reaction to the injury. The hard look switched to a wince of sympathy once the older man's kind eyes took in the pain lines around Sam's. "I'll decide how bad it is once the EMS looks you over."

"_Boss, what's going on?_" Ed called over the line, hearing bits and pieces of the conversation as they worked their end.

"Sam's been hit in the leg, paramedics are about to check him over – he'll be fine." Greg was saying, patting Sam on the shoulder before moving to get out of the way of the medics as they did their job.

"Oh my God, Sam!" Jules had caught sight of the commotion as soon as the ambulance with Steve pulled away.

Glancing up from the paramedic's working on his leg Sam saw Jules hovering over shoulders trying to get a better look at his injury. "Aw, Jules, I'm fine – it's not even that bad. Go get suited up, the teams going to need you." He was trying to deflect the concern somehow and bringing up a sense of duty had always worked in the military. However, the SRU was not the military.

"When did you get hit?" Jules asked suddenly, disregarding what Sam had suggested with practiced ease. She gasped as the realization hit her. "Oh my God, I shot you. The gun, when it discharged! I didn't even think to ask if you were alright!" Her eyes quickly shifted from surprise to horrified guilt, which hurt Sam more then a bullet ever could.

Sam shook his head with a longsuffering sigh. "Jules, it was an accident, okay? I don't blame you, I just got in the way a bit." The General always told him to take the blame on himself – if you get injured in combat you have only yourself to blame. It worked the same way if someone in the same unit ended up injured – there is always a way to protect those around you, if someone gets hurt you could have prevented it through better actions.

Sam saw Jules' facial expression switch from guilt to a look mixed of shock and anger with a flip of a switch. "You were not in the way! You were talking the gunman down!" She shook her head, eyes filling once more with concern and regret. "If I had just waited a little longer – "

"Jules, I'm telling you it's fine. I'm fine, the hostages are fine, Steve will be fine, everything is fine – okay?" Sam's eyes were begging her to drop it. "What's done is done, no big deal. I don't blame you – please don't blame yourself." Sam lived his life blaming himself for so many things – he wouldn't wish that kind of guilt on his worse enemy, let alone Jules.

"Hey," The Sergeant rejoined the small group around the bench, eyeing Sam critically as he spoke. "Ed has something big, we need to move out now." Looking away from his wounded officer Greg's eyes fell on Jules. "Are you coming?"

"Yes." Jules nodded without hesitation.

"Then go suit up and join Spike in the van." Greg informed her.

With another short nod Jules turned to walk away, but not before glancing on last time at Sam before hurrying towards the van.

Greg's expression took a look of sympathy again. "How are you doing, Sam?"

Sam realized his boss was feeling bad for the obvious need to leave him behind. "I'm good, Boss. This isn't the first time I've been injured like this, I'll be okay in no time. You go keep the peace and stay safe." Sam wanted to make things easier for his team – it was hard when anyone got hurt on a call.

Nodding with understanding Greg sighed. "I'll go to the hospital as soon as we're done and check in on you."

"I know you will." Sam nodded with a small smile. And once his Boss had left Sam was alone.

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_In all honesty this alternative ending probably sounded better in my head, but I hope you guys are enjoying it._

_Oh, and I have a BS (that's bull shit) in medical care…so don't believe everything I've written, but enjoy the ride all the same. ^^_

_Reviews and Reviewers are loved!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Enjoy! Thanks to all who reviewed for this story ^^_

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Part Two

Later Sam was chatting with a nurse in his temporary room when the Sergeant arrived. Sitting up a bit straighter Sam watched the older man's expression for any signs that one of the team – his family – might be injured. While Sergeant Greg Parker was concerned, the emotion seemed to be aimed specifically at Sam.

"Hey Boss, how'd everything go?" Sam asked carefully, wanting to deflect the concern a bit. Growing up in a military family Sam had never really gotten 'special' treatment when he was injured. The General simply told him to be a man about it – and his mother never treated him the same after his sister died.

Sure the concern from the team was nice, but Sam never knew exactly what he was suppose to do with it – how he was suppose to react or what the hell he was suppose to say.

Greg filled him in about the chemical attack and how everything played out. "There were a few people affected badly by the gas but the doctors seemed confident they could treat everyone." The Sergeant smiled a bit, setting the folded clothes he had been carrying next to Sam, "I thought you might want to change before we leave." He added kindly, already having learned that Sam wouldn't be staying overnight – though Greg had a strong suspicion Sam would be leaving against medical advice.

"Thanks." Sam shifted awkwardly, glancing at the doctor who had returned. "So, Doc, am I good to go?"

"I'll go get the paper work," The doctor nodded, than gave Greg meaningfully before leaving.

"I'll be right back." Greg informed Sam, who answered with a sigh and nodded. Once outside and alone with the doctor Greg didn't bother shielding his worried emotions. "So how is he?"

"He'll be able to return work soon, Mr. Braddock refused to be put under when we extracted the bullet. The slug had lodged itself in his thigh, but it was a small round and did minimal damage. As long as Mr. Braddock doesn't strain the injury over the next few days it should heal quickly – I'd say he could return to field work sometime within the next week or two."

Parker's eyes narrowed slightly, none of this information was secretive. "So why the privet chat?"

"I was concerned." The doctor dropped his gaze for a moment. "We drugged him up pretty good while we preformed the operation, he started talking with one of the nurses. Told her that she needed to 'tell the kid it wasn't his fault.' Mr. Braddock seemed very concerned for this child, however I was under the impression that two adults were grabbing for a gun when —"

"Yes, it was a friendly fire incident. Has he talked about the kid since?" Parker questioned lightly, already coming to the conclusion that Sam had been reliving something to do with his time in Afghanistan.

The doctor shook his head. "No, once the drugs cleared his system he seemed more within the present. Still, even the slightest flashback could be a possible sign of PTSD and since you are his commanding officer I thought it best that you were informed. If you want I can give you the names of some accomplished psychiatrists – "

Holding up his hand suddenly, Greg shook his head. "That won't be necessary, thank you. I will discuss this with him."

With a tight smile and a sharp nod the Doctor backed off and left Greg to think about what was said. A police officer with PTSD could be a tragedy waiting to happen. Parker, however, didn't think Sam was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. There would have been more signs before this. Even if Sam was having flashbacks they had never affected his work. Still, Greg knew he'd have to look into the accusation, for the sake of Sam and the rest of the team.

Walking back into the room Greg offered Sam a kind smile. Before anything could be said Sam interrupted him. "What? Am I pregnant? What's up with the whispers behind closed doors?" Sam had used the time alone to change into the clothes the Sergeant had brought him from his locker back at HQ. Currently he was buttoning up his gray over shirt while watching his Boss's reaction carefully.

Shaking his head, Greg chuckled lightly at the 'pregnant' comment before moving closer to his fallen family member. "Your doctor wanted to voice some concerns about something you said while they extracted the bullet from your leg."

Sam's eyes narrowed for a second until realization washed over him. "Oh crap, I was thinking about it, I didn't think I'd say anything though."

"Thinking about what, Sam? Something that happened while you served in the military?" Greg's heart sank.

"It wasn't a flash back," Sam sat up straighter, gripping the sides of the bed as his legs hung over the side. "I was just thinking about the last time I got shot in the leg like this." Sam pointed down to the bulk of bandage surrounding the bullet wound just under his loose fitted jeans. "It wasn't even a stressful situation like you might think!"

"After the day you had, and with you using your experiences in the desert to connect with the Subject – " Parker let his sentence trail off with a worried sigh.

"I know, but that isn't it. Okay, just hear me out." Sam forced his calm, "My unit were stationed at this village pretty far away from the danger zone. We were recovering, some of our guys had injuries, others had caught this virus that was floating around. Me and two other guys had made quick friends with some of the kids in the village. They were welcoming, appreciative that we were there – none of them were malicious, not even the parents."

Greg nodded, trying to figure out where Sam was going with the story.

"Us three guys were playing their version of soccer in the street. Someone, I can't get into details had left some of their gear to the side so they could move better. Anyway, one of the kids – couldn't have been more then five years old – got into this guy's stuff looking for candy. Those kids really had a thing for sweets – we always tried to have something on us, to gain their trust." Sam's eyes became thoughtful. "Instead of candy the kid found a hand gun, one of my buddies back ups. The kid had never touched one before, maybe a rifle, but not something so small. He must have switched off the safety when he dropped it, because it discharged."

Sam smirked. "We were such idiots, right? Not paying attention like that. I went down and the other kids scattered so fast it was like they had never been there to begin with. Us military guys lifted our guns, full combat mode checking for snipers or other threats. I noticed the kid crying off to the side first, and the gun on the ground. Pieced it together in my mind and told the others to stand down." Sam shook his head regretfully. "The kid was devastated, kept crying and apologizing over and over. His parents were devastated as well, begging for forgiveness. They thought I was going to have to kill the boy – some sort of retribution for being injured by the enemy's hands. Other villagers were under the impression that because of what had happened we were going to torch the houses."

Shaking his head Sam sighed and looked at his Boss with pleading eyes. "I was just thinking about how I wish that kid understood it was an accident. I never really got to stick around to make sure he was okay – we left the next day. With the drugs they shot me up with today, I guess it came out, but it wasn't because I have PTSD." He insisted. "The memories, they don't go away, but I'm still here in the present."

Parker nodded, "I believe you Sam, no worries. You went through a lot over there, it would be harder for me to believe that you didn't think about it from time to time. I just needed to make sure you were okay."

"Better then." Sam assured eagerly.

"Good," Greg nodded. "Now, let's say we get going, the Team is pretty eager to see you."

Sam blushed slightly, "Aw, they didn't have to stick around. It was just a flesh wound."

"Oh, they aren't at HQ, they're at the Goose. Something about 'if you get shot you buy the shots.'" Parker laughed.

Sam laughed and grabbed the pair of crutches he'd been issued. "In that case, lead the way!"

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_I'd be willing to write a brief scene at the bar…if people are interested. ^^_

_Hope you enjoyed my little story ^^_

_- Berry_


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